10 Things New York Fashion Week Taught Me About Being Fabulous

In New York, there’s always something driving you forward, whether it's your career goals, the fast-paced walking or the fact that you want to hop on the 6 train before rush hour hits its peak.

New York Fashion Week is no different.

No one explains this week full of clothes, celebrities and Instagraming better than Carrie Bradshaw:

Every year, the women of New York leave the past behind and look forward to the future… this is known as Fashion Week.

Whilst the iconic New Yorker may have been referring to the next season’s clothing, I can’t help but take it a bit differently. Thanks to Elite Daily, I was able to attend Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this month.

To me, it really wasn’t about the spring clothing or what was trending; it was about observing, processing and learning whatever I could that might help me in the long run. While I’m lightyears away from being the next Olivia Palermo, maybe this week brought me just a little bit closer.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to take the subway and buy clothing in the clearance section; I'll take what I learned from NYFW to continue pushing myself, and my career, forward on this little island.

1) It’s not about what you wear; it’s about how you wear it.

Yes, clothes are the focus of the week-long production, but unless you have an extensive clothing allowance, you probably won’t be wearing designer threads to every show.

That’s okay, though; you can wear a shirt from H&M and pair it with a somewhat decent skirt, and it's likely that no one will know the difference. As long as you’re comfortable, you can rock what you've got.

2) No one is looking at you as much as you think they are.

In fact, they probably aren’t looking at you at all, unless, of course, you really aren't wearing anything. Everyone is as worried as you are, if not more so, about how he or she looks.

3) You can try to appear cool, calm and collected all day, but the minute you recognize someone famous, all bets are off.

You raise your iPhone above the crowd and snap as many pictures as you can. You won't be able to wipe that grin off your face (even though you know how crazy you look). Sorry, Nigel Barker.

4) First-timers probably won’t get to sit front row at the Carolina Herrera show with Anna Wintour, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get to experience Fashion Week in its entirety.

Sitting in the front row at a smaller show and getting a smile from a Tumblr celebrity is pretty cool, too… especially if he points at your dungarees and gives you a thumbs up.

5) It’s all about a positive attitude and a little music.

The last show I attended was a relatively unknown designer, Oudifu. It was Monday night. I was tired. I was in the back row. Honestly, I just wanted to go home and watch “True Blood.”

However, as soon as the lights went down and the music started pumping, the excitement I felt at every other show returned. I just needed to suck it up and remember where I was and how lucky I was to be there. I even ended up getting a gift bag.

6) As much as it may not seem like it, the fashion industry no longer caters specifically to one body type or one type of beauty.

Sure, you have your Kendall Jenners Kendalls and your Cara Delavingnes, but you also have 5-foot-6 models with big beards and tattoos. You have pale little guys with red hair and girls with no hair at all. They’re all stunning in their own ways.

7) There’s nothing like someone mistaking you for a celebrity.

...to make you laugh hard or urge you to succeed more.

8) Carry a big purse and never turn down free stuff.

If you have the right bag, you can manage to snag two SmartWaters, one Diet Coke and two coffee drinks with you as you leave any event. Trust me…

9) You might be insignificant in the world of fashion and you may catch the bus after a show rather than take a private car.

But, you probably can’t help but feel a wave of awe mixed with gratefulness when “Empire State of Mind” comes on your iPhone as you head to your final show.

10) That being said, treating yourself every once in a while is worth it.

If you have enough money to spare, take a cab home. Yes, you may be on your way home to your teeny studio Harlem, but there’s something magical about whisking through Central Park in a private car, with the crisp fall air coming through the windows.

One day, it’ll be taking you to your brownstone in the West Village, and you won’t cringe at the Uber receipt in your email the next morning.

Thanks, Mercedes-Benz, Crown by Colin King, Malan Breton, Oudifu, Etxeberria and Lie Sang Bong — and of course, Elite Daily — for allowing me to be a part of NYFW and all its glamour. Here’s to S/S 2015; hopefully, I'll see you next time around!